Struggle (2)

Kendo is strictly a martial art (闘技) discipline.

Although it’s now become a sport, it originally stems from a martial art intended to kill opponents.

It was natural for such an exercise to be accompanied by a certain degree of injury.

In fact, before the shinai was developed, people often died during training.

Even without a blade, a wooden sword is essentially a blunt weapon.

Of course, even with a shinai, minor injuries weren’t completely absent.

So I’m used to getting hurt and feeling pain to some extent.

Rather, the most painful thing is rotting away alone without any pain.

What I need is the assurance that I’m moving forward.

With this assurance, I could endure everything else somehow.

[You have been killed by ……]

[You do not receive a death penalty due to ‘Training Mode’.]

[You will respawn in the ‘Player Waiting Room’.]

Death keeps coming.

My heart is stabbed, a blade enters my neck, my internal organs are crushed.

I exhaled rough breaths, clutching my chest several times.

Along with the pain, some kind of exhilaration also found me.

Weapons that narrowly miss hitting me.

It was the result of taking exactly one step back at the moment the opponent made their decision.

I was starting to feel it.

Where their gaze is focused even as they exchange blows with me.

How their breathing becomes unnatural when they bet their life.

Good. I’ve improved from earlier.

Let’s try once more.

[You have been killed by ……]

I step forward, treading on death.

To be honest, there was no need to go this far.

What Sigma wanted was combat data. To be more precise, it was more about ‘various variable situations’.

Even Sigma acknowledges that there’s a danger in high synchronization rates.

So they didn’t make the brutal demand to continuously experience extreme situations like death.

For instance, if I had to stab a dagger into my left leg right now, I would hesitate quite a bit.

Luche also decided to try to lower the synchronization rate unique to the brainwave method somehow.

I don’t know much about it, but she said the connection device my parents made was more helpful than expected.

So there’s no need to overdo it, she said.

‘But it’s better to have it anyway, right?’

Han Da-eun didn’t fall into shock despite experiencing numerous battles and deaths.

Even in the unlikely event that such a thing occurred, Sigma could take immediate action.

Based on this, if I protest, a path will open up for me.

The more harshly I endure, the sooner I can return to paradise.

It’s not like I haven’t died once or twice in the game anyway.

The time in that dark, damp room was much more painful than this phantom pain.

Moreover, this is the dream I’ve longed for so much.

How much have I looked forward to standing on the pro scene?

I’ve always wanted to prove my skills and prove myself as a person.

Now that the opportunity has finally come, I can’t run away because it hurts.

If I were going to do that, I wouldn’t have clung to this miserable life until now.

[You have won.]

[Prepare. The next opponent will be introduced without waiting time.]

Pain in the hand holding the dagger.

No, vitality flowed through it.

* * *

To Camellia, Shin Eun-chae, Gawol was a person best described by the word ‘toxic aura’ (毒氣).

She knew not to put her in the category of ordinary people.

The Gawol she saw was someone obsessed with victory to the point of mental illness, and that was actually true.

She just didn’t know it would be to this extent.

How many hours had passed since the practice started boldly?

The space that was overflowing with hostility and enthusiasm gradually fell into silence.

In the heavily settled atmosphere, one man gathered courage.

His voice was tinged with a sense of defeat.

“Can we… stop here for today?”

“Already?”

“Not ‘already’, we’ve been at this for hours.”

“Hmm. Alright. If it’s tough, there’s no helping it. Continuing would only lower efficiency.”

The hierarchy has been established, huh?

Well, with such a difference in level, you have to acknowledge it even if you don’t want to.

Eun-chae, watching from afar, smirked.

The practice room, once full of hostility, was now filled with a sense of awe.

On the main display in the center of the practice room.

There was a phrase that the 2nd division players probably never wanted to see.

[ALL KILL]

[Rule: 5-person Winner Stays]

[Battlefield: Shadow Hall]

[Achiever: Gawol (Assassin)]

Honestly, luck was on her side too.

The Shadow Hall is practically home ground for assassins, and there was even a trainee among the players who participated this time.

But that doesn’t diminish the achievement of an all-kill.

How many people among 1st division pros would be capable of something like this?

There was a reason why Luche coveted Gawol even while dealing with the connection device problem.

‘Besides, what kind of stamina is this, even better than active pros…’

Sigma e-Sports’ practice volume is by no means small.

Korea is traditionally a country that creates efficiency by grinding people.

This time-honored culture is no exception in the e-sports world, still maintaining world-class practice volume.

Even if they’re 2nd division, pros are pros.

Of course, I thought Gawol would be at a disadvantage in terms of physical strength.

It was a result hard to comprehend.

The practice room emptied as people left.

Eun-chae took the empty seat next to Da-eun.

Pretty eyes glanced at her, then fiddled with a phone as if not paying attention.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Just, I don’t feel like it right now.”

“I guess you’ve heard a lot that you should gain some weight.”

“I don’t… want to hear nagging.”

Ah, she’s feeling dejected.

The corners of Camellia’s mouth curved upward.

Though it didn’t come out of her mouth, somehow it felt like she could hear grumbling.

“Don’t be like that, eat something. That way you can practice more.”

“Why, are you going to practice with me?”

“If you eat all of this. Is a sandwich okay?”

“…Give it here, then. I’ll eat.”

Munch munch, gulp.

Slurp.

Da-eun pushed food into her small mouth.

Seeing her hurriedly drink coffee, it seems she was trying to eat quickly in her own way.

Due to physical limitations, she couldn’t eat fast.

Just looking at her like this, she’s like a small animal, but to think this person is really Gawol.

Even though they’ve met face to face several times now.

Camellia still often felt unfamiliar with her.

“But will you be okay? I thought I heard you shouldn’t overdo it.”

“I can do it all day.”

“That’s an outdated line.”

“Shut up. I’m saying I like it.”

For someone saying that, her complexion didn’t look too good.

Her already pitiful impression.

Seeing her sip coffee with a tired expression, Camellia felt like she had committed some kind of wrongdoing.

Like – what have I been doing while this small and fragile girl ended up like this?

Even though Han Da-eun was actually the older one.

‘She’s over twenty with that face? Really?’

At a glance, an appearance that could be believed to be just a girl.

A dark and gloomy atmosphere flowing subtly, you could say.

If it weren’t for the decadent sensuality, I would have thought ‘Kids these days must be developing well’.

Is that why?

It’s okay to use polite speech to some extent.

But I can’t bring myself to call her ‘unni’ (older sister).

Because something in Camellia’s heart screamed that that just wouldn’t do.

The moment Shin Eun-chae calls Han Da-eun ‘unni’ outside.

People who see that scene will think they’ve been caught up in some strange social experiment.

As a woman, it seemed too miserable.

“Um, I tried that brainwave connection device. I was curious.”

“Oh? How was it?”

“It didn’t seem like something humans should do.”

“Pfft… It’s manageable once you get used to it.”

The synchronization rate for a typical pro gamer is just over 20%.

But the synchronization rate Gawol is currently subjected to is 65.8%.

Even that is lower compared to the arena.

It’s not just a saying, it really wasn’t something humans should do.

If the synchronization rate exceeds 20%, you can gauge your body’s condition by sensation alone.

From where to where is damaged.

You can feel by sensation alone whether this is a fatal wound or if it’s manageable.

In other words, it’s pain that can be felt realistically.

The 65.8% that Camellia experienced was comparable to reality.

To engage in fierce battles and mutilate each other’s bodies in that state?

If the positions were reversed, could she have done that?

A creeping sense of defeat. Camellia suppressed her competitive spirit once.

“How long are you staying today?”

“Until there’s no one left to practice with me.”

“What’s with that weird standard?”

“It’s troublesome to explain. You’ll understand when you experience it anyway.”

It was exactly as she said.

Two hours later, Camellia, who couldn’t win a single match, returned to the dorm huffing and puffing.

Only then did Han Da-eun head home.

* * *

[Author: Elderin]

[Title: Guest invitation broadcast tomorrow!]

ლ(ㆍωㆍლ)

I won’t tell you who it is.

But I think everyone knows?

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– Ten-ryeon is finally coming